Reviews for Physical Science: Standardized Test Prep Workbook

The average rating for Physical Science: Standardized Test Prep Workbook based on 2 reviews is 3 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2010-12-14 00:00:00 Robert Sanchez My only complaint about this book was that it wasn't long enough! Collard discusses the problems caused by invasive species, specifically the brown tree snake on the island of Guam (has already wiped out several species of beautiful birds!), red fire ants in the American southeast, melaleuca trees in the Florida swamps, and zebra mussels in the Great Lakes and Mississippi. These species were introduced either by accident or purposefully as pets or garden plants and quickly took over, with no natural predators/diseases to keep their populations in check. I was especially fascinated by the scientists' efforts to find natural (ie, non-chemical) means to keep them from spreading. It's a frustratingly slow process, because introducing another species to control an invasive species could result in another ecological catastrophe. Throughout the book the warning was clear--DO NOT dispose of unwanted exotic pets or plants in your local habitat! Be ecologically mindful! Kids studying ecology should read this book, which clearly outlines the problem. If only Collard had covered more species, like the Burmese pythons in Florida. Maybe another book? I can highly recommend this one, another excellent volume in the Scientists in the Field series.

Review # 2 was written on 2014-12-28 00:00:00 Francisco Horna At 44 pages this is probably the briefest of all the ‘Scientists in the Field’ books I’ve read and as it was so short, very few invasive species were covered. I am not expecting a comprehensive book on invasive plants and animals in the US for middle graders, but it would have been nice to see some favorites like feral hogs, nutria or English ivy included. It was interesting to read of the threat of the brown snake. Now I have a new thing to worry about at night- the brown snake sneaking aboard a plane or boat and reaching Hawaii.